September 1, 2023

The Jewish Press

Meeting Mika

JFO Community Engagement and Education

You can only meet someone for the first time once and you hope that the wonder, anticipation, and speculation will at a minimum not disappoint and at best be satisfying. Such were my thoughts on Aug. 15 as I prepared to fire up the video magic of Zoom and start the kind of meeting that we have learned to love and hate through the Covid times.

It was time to meet Mika Mizrahi. She is currently living with her parents in the Golan Heights area of Israel and will arrive on Sept. 5 to be the shlicha for Omaha for the next two years. I’ll cut to the chase and let you know that meeting Mika for the first time went beyond satisfying to refreshing, enlightening, and definitely energizing.

Mika was born in a village north of Haifa. She has an older brother who has been living in Berlin, Germany, for the past 10 years. Her older sister lives close to her and is studying sociology. At age six, Mika visited the United States on a family trip celebrating her brother’s bar mitzvah. She doesn’t remember much about it, and she certainly didn’t learn anything about Nebraska or Omaha. Today, however, when she tells her friends about coming here, she pulls out a map and points to it and explains with enthusiasm, “See, it is right here – next to Texas!” Oh, this is going to be fun.

Mika explained that in Israel, once you finish school, there is the option to take a year and perform community service, often outside the borders of Israel. She decided that she was too young to do that, so she proceeded on the normal course of joining the IDF. There, she worked in human resources where she assisted soldiers who were exiting the

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military to ensure that they were receiving all the benefits that they had earned during their time of service. She also assisted Arabs and Christians who were joining the IDF to find the kind of assignments that they desired. Her responsibilities put her on call 24 hours a day, and it was not unusual for her to be called in the evening to work through

IHE Lunch and Learn Series Record enrollment and a new middle school

The Institute for Holocaust Education is pleased to announce the next three months of our Third Thursday Lunch and Learn Series. The Third Thursday Lunch and Learn Series, presented by the Institute for Holocaust Education, is programming that seeks to educate, engage, and empower the community through discussion, presentations, and informative speakers about topics related to the Holocaust. All Third Thursday presentations are offered via Zoom, from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. on their respective days.

On Sept. 21 at 11:30 a.m,. Dr. Hillary Rubesin, will present Where

Does Your Heart Feel Safe and Happy?: Expressive arts therapy with refugees and immigrants. In this presentation, Dr. Rubesin will speak about her artsbased, mental health work with refugees and immigrants from across the globe. A brief discussion of wartime and resettlement trauma will be followed by case studies of Dr. Rubesin’s work with refugee women from Burma, newcomer youth from over 40 countries worldwide, families living in migrant shelters along the See IHE Lunch and Learn page 3

FJA Director of Advancement

Friedel Jewish Academy started the school year on Aug. 16 with record-high enrollment and a new middle school.

With 69 enrolled students, including 18 kindergarteners, Friedel has more students than at any point since the school first opened in 1964.

Head of School Beth Cohen says that, “This record-high enrollment is a sign that people recognize the enormous advantages of a Friedel

education.” She emphasizes, however, that the school remains focused on maintaining the small class sizes and low student–teacher ratios for which it is known.

“We know from research that having fewer students per teacher is important for students’ achievement. That’s why we maintain a 10:1 student–classroom teacher ratio. Every student gets individualized attention, and no one slips through the cracks,” Cohen says. See Record enrollment page 2

Forever starts today

RACHEL RING

JFO Director of Development

What is a Forever Gift? A Forever Gift can extend your commitment to the Jewish Federation of Omaha Community Campaign for years and inspire and support future generations in the form of a permanent fund with The Foundation. Simply put, a Forever Gift endows your Annual Campaign gift. It becomes the literal foundation of the Federation’s Annual Campaign, and it helps to ensure that funds are available to meet the everchanging needs of the Omaha Jewish community and world at large. A Forever Gift will inspire and support future generations of Jewish Omaha and will fuel our sacred mission well into the future.

Sandy Epstein said, “We love Omaha’s Jewish community and want to secure its future by supporting the Federation’s Annual Campaign for generations to come. So, Paul and I named

ORGANIZATIONS

B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS

The Foundation as beneficiary of an IRA to endow our PACE (Perpetual Annual Campaign Endowment) and LOJE (Lion of Judah Endowment) funds that will provide for our gifts to

Continued from page 1 a problem, even when she was out with friends.

“The job carried a lot of responsibility,” Mika said, “it was very hard, but these people were like my babies and in the end, I loved this responsibility and I loved being able to help people. It made me grow – it helped make me who I am today.”

Instagram presented her with the concept of a shlichut. Her basic commitment to help others, her excitement to learn about how Jews are living outside of Israel, her spirit of adventure to travel, and what seems to be unbounded energy, coupled with her IDF experience, led Mika to the conclusion that joining the program would be a good fit for her. Her family is enthusiastic for her to take on this adventure.

“My parents have always encouraged us to do new things,” she said, “and to be independent.”

She loves Israeli culture and is excited to share it with the people in Omaha:

“Dancing, singing, performing,” she said, “these are all part of the culture. And we have

crazy good food. And Jews love alcohol – we have that too, including some very good wine. I want to share how we celebrate our festivals. I’m checking to make sure I know how to fix the Israeli foods.”

She added that while her family is so excited about her coming to Omaha, “My grandma is kind of hesitant. She isn’t good with technology, so she is concerned about us talking to each other. Before I leave, she is going to bring me to her house and share her own special recipes with me.”

Mika aims to bring nourishment for body and soul:

“People who don’t get along together, people who don’t speak well to each other, people who don’t think the same,” she said, “all these people can sit down for Yom Shabbat and can eat together and laugh, just like good brothers.”

If you would like to be a part of Mika’s introduction to the Omaha community, contact Jay Katelman, who will be guiding Mika through her shlichut in Omaha at jkatel man@jewishomaha.org or 402.334.6461.

Record enrollment

the Annual Campaign year after year.”

Sandy and Paul Epstein are hosting a dessert reception and fireside chat with Amy Bernstein Shivvers in early September for those interested in learning more about a Forever Gift. If you’re interested in attending, please contact Rachel Ring at 402.334.6443 or by email at rring@jewishomaha.org

The award-winning B’NAI B’RITH BREADBREAKERS speaker program currently meets Wednesdays via Zoom from noon to 1 p.m. Please watch our email for specific information concerning its thought-provoking, informative list of speakers. To be placed on the email list, contact Breadbreakers chair at gary.javitch@gmail.com

Continued from page 1 Cohen explains that the school hires assistant teachers as needed to maintain an ideal ratio of students to teachers.

This is also the first year that Friedel’s new middle school is open. This year, 18 students are enrolled in the middle school, in grades 5 through 7. Next year, Friedel will add eighth grade.

Melissa Shrago, Friedel’s Director of Learning Initiatives, has spent the past year working closely with Cohen to plan the middle school curriculum.

“I’m really excited,” Shrago says. “We’ve

created a middle school experience that is based on the unique developmental needs of kids in their early adolescent years. We’re also providing exceptional academics, continuing to expand students’ Jewish knowledge and Hebrew language skills, and opportunities for experiential learning outside of the classroom, including travel.”

Those wishing to learn more about the school can contact Director of Advancement Sara Kohen at skohen@fjaomaha. com or Head of School Beth Cohen at bco hen@fjaomaha.com

IHE Lunch and Learn Series

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US/Mexico border, and Ukrainians currently living in a war zone. Participants will learn how the expressive arts are particularly effective within cross-cultural, cross-lingual, trauma-informed therapy.

Hillary Rubesin is a Registered Expressive Arts Therapist and a Licensed Independent Mental Health Practitioner. She holds a doctorate from Lesley University, the birthplace of Expressive Arts Therapy. She currently sees clients and runs artsbased programming at Jewish Family Service. Beyond her work at JFS, Hillary has a private practice in Dundee, is an adjunct professor at Lesley University, and supervises graduate students and new clinicians. While Hillary has worked with various populations over the years, the focus of her work for over a decade was on refugee mental health.

On Oct. 19 at 11:30 a.m. by Zoom, Suzanne Horwich founder of Artists Give Back will be presenting, Inspiring Others to Give Back. (www.artistsgivingback.org) AGB partners with organizations that are meeting the primary needs of refugees such as food, shelter and medicine. Suzanne has realized that often the secondary needs are overlooked, such as the emotional needs, the healing of heart in these refugee situations. She currently partners with various organizations in Poland and Greece. Suzanne has completed six trips to Krakow from her home in Colorado since the start of the Russian invasion to work with Ukrainian refugees and recently returned from Greece where she worked with the displaced populations of Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria and Africa.

Suzanne will be speaking about the work that she’s doing, how it all started, the impact she’s having on refugee populations worldwide and the importance of how we can all give back in our daily lives. “How do we change the world? We live through love, compassion and tolerance. This is the recipe.” says Horwich.

Suzanne Horwich is an Omaha native. As a young girl Suzanne always deeply internalized the conflicts going on in the world and felt great compassion for those suffering. These emotions were a catalyst for her work through her adulthood.

At 26, in order to broaden her outlook and understand and experience the world, she decided to leave America and bought a one-way ticket to Israel where she lived and worked for three years, made her way to Istanbul for a year to work, and then went to Scotland for 10 years. These years abroad were instrumental in understanding different cultures and the challenges that different populations face.

Suzanne is a mother, artist and founder of Barn Girl Art, an organization created to help artists recognize and imagine their true potential. She is also former Director of Curatorial Affairs for JCC Aspen and currently the founder of Artists Giving Back organization which offers healing through the vehicle of art to refugee populations around the world displaced by

conflict, crisis or climate. AGB ‘s mission is to return dignity and build community to refugee populations through art programming and art shows for these displaced populations, thus giving them something to work towards which in turn creates hope.

On Nov. 16 at 11:30 a.m. by Zoom, Stephen Silberstein will present the story of his father, Holocaust Survivor, Michael Silberstein. Michael Silberstein was born in Grudziadz, Poland in 1930 as the youngest of four siblings. When the war broke out Michael survived the Lodz Ghetto and was then sent to Auschwitz, survived the death march and was liberated from the Mauthausen concentration camp in May 1945. After spending time in the Santa Maria Di Bagni DP camp near Bari Italy, he traveled to London where he received his education and a degree in electrical engineering. After seven years in London, he moved to America in 1952 where he was drafted and fought in the Korean war shortly after his arrival. Michael was married in 1956 to Lillian, settled in Poughkeepsie, NY, where they raised two sons Stephen and Andrew. Michael worked for IBM for 32 years and would say he “lived the American dream.” Michael returned to the camps in 1993, 2007 and 2020 to tell his growing family the story. Michael passed away at age 92 in April 2022. Michael was active in sharing his Holocaust story at the synagogue, religious school, public schools, and universities.

Stephen Silberstein was born in 1958 and was raised in Poughkeepsie, NY. He met his wife Carol at Rutgers University in 1980 and they were married in 1982. Both their children David and Sara were born in Poughkeepsie while Stephen worked at IBM. They moved to Virginia in 1997 and he worked for Micron Technology until his retirement at the end of 2019. They currently have two grandchildren, Noah age five and Laney age three living in LA. Steve has been an active participant in Yom Hashoah commemorations, and shares his dad’s story through a presentation they jointly worked on together.

For more information regarding Third Thursday programming at IHE, or to RSVP please reach out to Scott Littky, Executive Director of IHE, at slittky@ihene.org

Beautiful The Carole King Musical

ANDREW SCHNITKER

Beautiful The Carole King Musical opens at the Omaha Community Playhouse on Friday, Sept. 15, 2023. The show will run in the Hawks Mainstage Theatre through Sunday, Oct. 15, with performances on Wednesdays through Saturdays at 7:30 p.m. and Sundays at 2 p.m.

Tony Award-winner Beautiful The Carole King Musical is the inspiring true story of singer/ songwriter Carole King’s remarkable life, her journey to fame and the mammoth impact she and her work had on the music industry. While not without strife and heartache, King’s story and unbreakable spirit will capture your heart. With songs like Will You Love

Me Tomorrow, One Fine Day, and, of course, (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman, Carole King’s music is the soundtrack of a generation.

Tickets are on sale now, with prices varying by performance. Tickets may be purchased at the OCP Box Office, by phone at 402.553.0800 or online at OmahaPlayhouse.com

The Omaha Community Playhouse is supported in part by the Nebraska Arts Council, the Nebraska Cultural Endowment, and the Douglas County Board of Commissioners. Established in 1924, the Omaha Community Playhouse is the largest community theatre in the United States based on memberships sold and facility size, among other factors.

Trade scholarships available for the 2023-24 academic year

An anonymous donor in our community has created two trade school and/or cosmetology school scholarship opportunities, up to $5,000 each, to go towards the 2023-24 academic year.

Not every student who advances into higher education signs up for a four-year curriculum. Some high school graduates seek job training that lasts a year or two and then places them in the workforce. Such opportunities include, but are

not restricted to: Information Technology, Construction, Industrial, Transportation and Horticulture. It is not too late to apply for this upcoming school year!

Qualified students who have unmet needs regarding tuition for either a two-year trade school program or a trade certificate program can contact the Jewish Press at avandekamp@ jewishomaha.org or jpress@jewishomaha.org for more information.

Friedel prepares students for success

Friedel Jewish Academy teaches students in kindergarten through seventh grade (with an expansion through eighth grade slated for 2024). Head of School Beth Cohen emphasizes the school’s focus on teaching and nurturing the whole child. She says, “We know that in addition to developing academic skills, students need to learn skills that help them succeed both in and out of the classroom.”

With that goal in mind, Friedel uses Well-Managed Schools, which is a research-based, positive approach to teaching classroom skills that was created by Boys Town. Well-Managed Schools is a structured approach to school-wide behavior and social management which creates more positive and calmer classrooms. It gives teachers practical strategies for effectively managing classroom dynamics while keeping joy in the classroom. All Friedel teachers participate in professional development sessions led by Boys Town trainers.

The Well-Managed Schools program is aimed at strengthening communication, discipline, decision-making, relationships, and self-control. When these skills are strong, students are equipped to focus on their academics. The program uses a proactive approach, emphasizing the use of a common language, common practices, and consistent application of positive and negative consequences. Teachers learn specific teaching interactions — proven to promote change in the classroom and school — during the training program to pre-

pare them to implement Well-Managed Schools.

“Through Well-Managed Schools, we intentionally teach classroom skills and the steps required to master the skill. How do you appropriately get the teacher’s attention? How

do you accept no for an answer? How do you use appropriate tone of voice? What are the steps involved in sharing? Helping students develop essential behavioral skills promotes learning and a positive classroom environment,. “These skills will also help our students throughout their lives.”

In addition to the training, the Well-Managed Schools program sets goals for teachers to help positively manage student behavior. These include appropriate ratio of praise to corrective statements, on-task student behavior, and students’ responsiveness to redirection. The school’s administrative team observes classroom instruction to ensure Friedel meets these goals.

Many thanks to the Sadie and Harry Kulakofsky Endowment Fund and the Harris Family Endowment Fund for helping underwrite the cost of training Friedel’s new teachers and of classroom observations to help teachers further develop their classroom management skills.

Our Shabbat Tables return

Jewish Press Staff Writer

Beth El Synagogue is pleased to announce the return of Our Shabbat Tables after a three year hiatus due to the Covid Pandemic. Our Shabbat Tables is a program that matches individuals, couples, and families to share a Shabbat dinner experience in a host home.

Our Shabbat Tables provides a home cooked kosher meal prepared in the Beth El kitchen. Shabbat hosts simply pick up and heat the meal while Shabbat guests are asked to bring an item to share (salad, fruit, wine, juice, or challah). Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors, program participation costs are kept low to encourage wide participation. This year, Our Shabbat Tables will include three meals at the homes of congregants plus, two themed community Shabbat dinners at Beth El.

Naturally, building community through sharing a Shabbat meal is a great opportunity for long time Omahans to connect or reconnect and is a wonderful way to welcome and integrate newcomers. Our Shabbat Tables is open to all Jewish community members regardless of affiliation and averages 75-100 participants per dinner spread out amongst host homes.

Caryn Scheer is enthusiastic for its return. “So many people have reached out to ask when this program would resume, which is a testament to its success,” she shares. “The overall goal of Our Shabbat Tables is to connect and build relationships with others over a warm Shabbat meal prepared by Beth El. We have seen many relationships created in the community through this program which in turn builds a stronger Jewish Omaha.”

Past participants were excited to hear of the program’s return. Ari and Sara Kohen share that their family has been involved with Our Shabbat Tables since it first began. “It’s allowed us to meet so many new people, spend time with

old friends, and enjoy the ways in which people welcome Shabbat into their homes. We’re thrilled that this program is returning for another year!”

Alice Weiss was pleased to hear of the program’s return, as well. “My husband and I always enjoyed Our Shabbat Tables. It’s a good way to get to know people in a smaller, more intimate setting and it often facilitates interesting conversations among the participants. I’m happy to hear that Beth El is bringing it back.”

“Our family is also looking forward to the return of Our Shabbat Tables,” shares Abigail Kutler. “It’s a great way to meet and reconnect with other young families in the community.”

Robby Erlich, Beth El Engagement Coordinator, sees Our Shabbat Tables as a fun and meaningful way to break bread with friends, old and new, pointing out that the program has successfully encouraged community members to celebrate Shabbat more regularly. “My family and I loved being involved in the program when we first moved to Omaha in 2019 and have made many friendships through it. It’s a wonderful program to be involved in. I wish to thank Caryn Scheer for her vision and her behind-the-scenes work. The program couldn’t happen without the support from the Staenberg Family Foundation Anything Grant, the Herbert Goldsten Donor-Advised Fund, Dr. Jeffrey & Sandra Passer and the generosity of our anonymous donors.”

This year’s dates for Our Shabbat Tables are:

Friday, Oct. 6 at a host home

Friday, Nov. 17 at Beth El, “Rainbow Connection” theme

Friday, Jan. 19 at a host home

Friday, Feb. 23 at a host home

Friday, April 5 at Beth El, “Jewish Italian Cuisine” theme For more information or to register for Our Shabbat Tables, please visit Beth El online at https://www.bethelomaha.org/ or contact Robby Erlich at rerlich@bethelomaha.org or 402.492.8550.

Kever Avot services planned by Beth Israel

MARY SUE GROSSMAN

A special Jewish custom is held during the High Holidays, that of visiting of the graves of loved ones during a Kever Avot service. Kever Avot provides the opportunity to honor one’s ancestors and loved ones and remember the impact of those lives.

“Every person is responsible for preparing him or herself spiritually prior to the High Holidays,” shares Rabbi Ari Dembitzer. “There is always excitement about the new year from welcoming family and friends to our homes for meals, to trying out a special new apple cake recipe, or finding the perfect new garment to honor the celebration. It is imperative, however, that we remember our internal prep work is more important. In going to the cemetery to honor loved ones, recite prayers, and coming together with others, a person can focus on the good deeds and life lessons that were shared by those

individuals. In looking at these elements, one can find inspiration in determining those things to improve on in the coming year.” He ended by saying “it helps to know where you come from in deciding which way to go.”

Beth Israel Synagogue will hold Kever Avot services, led by Rabbi Dembitzer, on Sunday, Sept. 10. Services, which take approximately 20-30 minutes, will be held at Golden Hill Cemetery at 11 a.m,. at Beth Israel Cemetery at noon, and at Fisher Farm Cemetery at 1 p.m. If unable to attend on the 10th, entrance to each cemetery is available daily via a small gate found near the large gate that is open during funerals.

For additional information on Kever Avot or on the above listed cemeteries, please call the Beth Israel office at 402.556.6288. Office hours are 9 a.m.–2 p.m., Monday through Friday.

The Tower of Babel

What do the European Union, East Timor, the Internet, the United Nations, and perhaps the whole world have in common? As portrayed in the popular press, they all share a basic feature of the Tower of Babel in the book of Genesis: unintelligibility wrought by too many languages spoken at the same time.

Omaha’s embrace of Who Are the Marcuses?

LEONARD GREENSPOON

A story in the Halifax Daily News titled Tower of Babel provides a colorful description of the linguistic mix in the early days of the European Union: “The 11 official languages of the European Union already make for quite a mouthful. This linguistic kaleidoscope adds new colours when a fresh batch of member states add nine newcomers to the mix.” In another account that describes the European Parliament as the tower of Babel personified,” It is calculated that “with the original 11 languages there are 55 pairs of languages to translate.” For you non-mathematicians: So that everyone present can understand each other, each language needs to be translated into ten other languages, making 110 different translations (or 55 pairs) and 110 possibilities for confusion. “After enlargement,” the article continues, “with say 22 languages, there would be 231 pairs”—an arrangement termed “unmanageable.” Elsewhere the cost of translation is put at one billion dollars annually. What, we wonder, would it have cost to circumvent God’s dictum in Genesis 11 that “they will not understand one another’s speech?”

Local efforts to revert to a pre-Babel condition (described globally in Genesis11:1 as when “the whole earth had one language and the same words”) can be met with resistance-whether it’s an attempt to adopt a single common language, such as Portuguese in East Timor or English in the EU, or an effort is made to adopt an invented language like Esperanto.

As suggested in the Florida Times-Union, “Esperanto may take some getting used to. The Lord’s Prayer would begin, ‘Patro nia, kai estas En La Cielo, sankto estu via nomo.’” Another option: We might revert to the form of English, highly abbreviated, that graces millions, if not billions of text messages a day, in which case we would begin the Lord’s Prayer this way: “R Dad Hu R n heaven.” To, which I would retort, “heaven. 4bid!” Even the solution of bilingualism, as with French and English for Canada, is seen to raise as many questions as it solves.

In the Hebrew of the Book of Genesis, there is a play on See The Tower of Babel page 7

for Ben-Gurion University

On behalf of Americans for Ben-Gurion University (A4BGU), I had the privilege of experiencing the Omaha Jewish community’s enthusiastic participation in the screening of Who Are the Marcuses? on Aug. 15 at the Omaha JCC.

The film reveals the remarkable story of one family, Lottie, Howard, and their daughter Ellen, who changed the future with the single-largest donation ever made to an institution in the State of Israel — $500 million to Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU).

As Amy Bernstein Shivvers, Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation Executive Director, succinctly and powerfully put it in The Jewish Press, “This film makes us all think how we can all leave the world a better place.”

Indeed, Lottie and Howard Marcus left the world a better place by successfully passing their legacy from one generation to the next. They prioritized their Jewish values, including the value of giving back. It is therefore no surprise that their daughter Ellen Marcus (who was present at the Aug. 15 screening in Omaha) asked them to leave her enough money for her and her children to live comfortably, but then to donate the rest

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to a charitable undertaking.

The Marcuses’ historic gift also reflects the core mission of A4BGU. By raising awareness around the University and its unique accomplishments, we rally Americans around a new vision for Zionism in the 21st century — growing support for Israel based on how the country lives up to its promise of being a “Migdal Or” (beacon of light) by helping to solve some of the world’s greatest challenges, including the challenge of water scarcity and conservation. The

ANTISEMITIC/HATE INCIDENTS

cutting-edge research conducted at institutions like BGU stands at the forefront of Israel’s global impact and benefits all of humanity, driving a vision that any supporter of Israel can and should rally around.

A4BGU conveys its sincerest gratitude to the entire Omaha Jewish community — and especially to our partners, the Jewish Federation of Omaha, the Jewish Federation of Omaha Foundation, and the Omaha JCC — for a truly unforgettable evening.

If you encounter an antisemitic or other hate incident, you are not alone. Your first call should be to the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) in Omaha at 402.334.6572, or email JCRCreporting@ jewishomaha.org. If you perceive an imminent threat, call 911, and text Safety & Security Manager James Donahue at 402.213.1658.

Above:

Above: The Residents of RBJH are raising caterpillars that will turn into Painted Lady butterflies that we will release in September. They are fascinated with the butterfly life cycle and enjoy nature coming alive.

Above and below: Every month RBJH Residents enjoy Hillary Rubesin’s Expressive Art Class, and this month was no exception. Since we recently celebrated Tu B'av, we asked Residents for their favorite love songs and watched and listened to them on YouTube videos. This brought about plenty of discussion. Hillary wrote words on the whiteboard about comments the Residents made about their love songs and created a poem! A lovely program indeed.

SP O TLIGHT

PHOTOS FROM RECENT JEWISH COMMUNITY EVENTS

SUBMIT A PHOTO: Have a photo of a recent Jewish Community event you would like to submit? Email the image and a suggested caption to: avandekamp@jewishomaha.org

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Above: Rabbi Katzman, Rabbi Jonathan Rosenbaum and Susan Rosenbaum, M.D. who returned for a visit to Beth El.

Below: Mike Kelly, middle, with sons Kevin, left, and Nick outside the ABBA arena in London before the ABBA Voyage Avatar show. Of course, they dressed for the occasion!

The Hebrew word mezuzah literally means “doorpost,” and refers to a small parchment scroll upon which the Hebrew words of the Shema are handwritten by a scribe. Mezuzah scrolls are rolled up and affixed to the doorposts of Jewish homes, designating the home as Jewish and reminding those who live there of their connection to G-d and their heritage. The decorative case containing the scroll is just that: a mere container. What’s important is the scroll, upon which the first two sections of the Shema are handwritten, beginning with the eternal words “Hear O Israel, the Lord is our G-d, the Lord is One.” These selections both contain G-d’s instruction to affix the mezuzah: “You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” (Source: www.chabad.org)

You should hang a mezuzah on every doorway, except on doors leading to bathrooms and small closets. Judaism is not confined to synagogues. We strive for spirituality even within the comfort and familiarity of our own homes. The mezuzah on the doorpost reminds those who walk through, that G-dly life and Torah accompany them wherever they go.

When Bonnie Pfrenger, husband Jochen and their children traded Nebraska for Texas about 11 years ago, she consulted with a local rabbi when it came time to put up mezuzot in their new house. He came and counted: the total number of mezuzot needed was 23.

“It was a high number, but we decided to do it,” she said. “I really did it for extra security, and I believe in the power of the mitzvah.” She went to work, and as she put up the last one, something clicked.

“I felt this weird energy go through me,” she said. “I just knew in that moment that I was putting up the very last mezuzah. Sometimes, when you complete a mitzvah, you really feel it.”

It is customary to have mezuzot checked twice every seven years, or even every year, prior to the High Holidays. Even if the mezuzah was purchased from a reputable source and previously found to be perfectly kosher, there is always room for human error, and new cracks and other problems can appear with time. Of course, this checking must be done by an expert scribe. But then, maybe your house doesn’t have any mezuzot at all—or there’s only one on the front door, and not on the other doorways. It can seem overwhelming to stay on top of it, and it’s a good idea to ask for help.

After her experience putting mezuzot on every doorpost, Bonnie wasn’t done.

“It was my birthday,” she said, “and I felt the need to do more work. So for the entire year, I decided, I would spread more mitzvot, I wanted to do something different, and I kept thinking about the mezuzah. There is so much hardship in the world—what if we can inspire others to help heal the world by putting up more mezuzot? After all, when someone in your house is ill, the first thing that should be done is to check the mezuzah, make sure it is still valid and it is still kosher. I truly hope to bring more awareness.”

Mezuzot, she said, should be gifted. That way, the recipient can be encouraged to pass the mitzvah on. And so, for her birthyear, Bonnie is sponsoring 56 mezuzot, “in the hope it will protect the recipients, because every Jew should be protected. And I want to inspire people to put them on all the doorposts, not just the front door.”

In addition, a sofer will be coming to inspect existing scrolls. How many of us do put up mezuzot, but fail to check the scroll for damages?

Mezuzah scrolls are handwritten by an expert scribe who is trained in the many laws involved in writing a mezuzah, including the requirement that it be written with special intention and that the words be written in order. Every single letter in the mezuzah must be properly formed. A single crack in the parchment or any omission can invalidate the entire scroll. A printed mezuzah is invalid.

The Tower of Babel

Continued from page 5 words between Babel as a proper name and the verb b-l-l, “to confuse.” And confusion, caused at least as much by the low quality of translation as by the high quantity of tongues, lies behind descriptions of the United Nations as “the present world’s Tower of Babel,” where “members have babbled while millions throughout the world suffer,” even if the babbling is restricted to six official languages. Was there ever a real Tower of Babel? This is a point that archaeologists and historians can debate ad infinitum. If it did exist, it was in present-day Babylon, “where Adam met Eve and the Tower of Babel was built,” in the words of one headline in London’s Daily Telegraph. As reported in the Virginia-Pilot, “the famed Tower of Babel may just be a large mound, and the legendary Hanging Gardens may never be found, but the sense of history is profound.” That sense of history, repeated and relived, remains profound for all of us.

On the reverse side of the scroll, the scribe writes one of Gd’s names: Sha-dai. The three letters of this name form an acronym for the Hebrew words that mean “Guardian of the doorways of Israel.” Since this name of G-d begins with the letter shin, mezuzah cases are often decorated with that letter.

Our sages teach that a mezuzah has the unique property of protecting the inhabitants of the home where it is hung— whether the inhabitants are inside or outside that home. The mezuzah can be compared to a “helmet,” a veneer that protects us against the dangers that surround us in our lives.

When passing through a doorway where a mezuzah has been affixed, we glance at it and touch it. Some people then kiss their fingertips. This serves as a reminder throughout the day that G-d is always with us, inside or outside our homes.

For more information about checking your mezuzot, or to put up new ones (there are still some sponsored ones available!), please contact Mushka Tenenbaum at mushka@ ochabad.com

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Voices

The Jewish Press

(Founded in 1920)

Margie Gutnik

President

Annette van de Kamp-Wright

Editor Richard Busse

Creative Director

Howard Kutler

Advertising Executive

Lori Kooper-Schwarz

Assistant Editor

Gabby Blair

Staff Writer

Sam Kricsfeld

Digital support

Mary Bachteler

Accounting

Jewish Press Board

Margie Gutnik, President; Abigail Kutler, Ex-Officio; Helen Epstein; Seth Feldman; David Finkelstein; Ally Freeman; Mary Sue Grossman; Chuck Lucoff; Patricia Newman; Joseph Pinson and Larry Ring.

The mission of the Jewish Federation of Omaha is to build and sustain a strong and vibrant Omaha Jewish Community and to support Jews in Israel and around the world. Agencies of the JFO are: Institute for Holocaust Education, Jewish Community Relations Council, Jewish Community Center, Jewish Social Services, Nebraska Jewish Historical Society and the Jewish Press Guidelines and highlights of the Jewish Press, including front page stories and announcements, can be found online at: www.jewishomaha.org; click on ‘Jewish Press.’ Editorials express the view of the writer and are not necessarily representative of the views of the Jewish Press Board of Directors, the Jewish Federation of Omaha Board of Directors, or the Omaha Jewish community as a whole. The Jewish Press reserves the right to edit signed letters and articles for space and content. The Jewish Press is not responsible for the Kashrut of any product or establishment.

Editorial

The Jewish Press is an agency of the Jewish Federation of Omaha. Deadline for copy, ads and photos is: Thursday, 9 a.m., eight days prior to publication. E-mail editorial material and photos to: avandekamp@jewishomaha.org ; send ads (in TIF or PDF format) to: rbusse@jewishomaha.org

Letters to the Editor Guidelines

The Jewish Press welcomes Letters to the Editor. They may be sent via regular mail to: The Jewish Press, 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154; via fax: 1.402.334.5422 or via e-mail to the Editor at: avandekamp@jewishomaha.org.

Letters should be no longer than 250 words and must be single-spaced typed, not hand-written. Published letters should be confined to opinions and comments on articles or events.

News items should not be submitted and printed as a “Letter to the Editor.”

The Editor may edit letters for content and space restrictions. Letters may be published without giving an opposing view. Information shall be verified before printing. All letters must be signed by the writer. The Jewish Press will not publish letters that appear to be part of an organized campaign, nor letters copied from the Internet. No letters should be published from candidates running for office, but others may write on their behalf.

Letters of thanks should be confined to commending an institution for a program, project or event, rather than personally thanking paid staff, unless the writer chooses to turn the “Letter to the Editor” into a paid personal ad or a news article about the event, project or program which the professional staff supervised. For information, contact Annette van de Kamp-Wright, Jewish Press Editor, 402.334.6450.

Postal The Jewish Press (USPS 275620) is published weekly (except for the first week of January and July) on Friday for $40 per calendar year U.S.; $80 foreign, by the Jewish Federation of Omaha. Phone: 402.334.6448; FAX: 402.334.5422.

Periodical postage paid at Omaha, NE. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The Jewish Press, 333 So. 132 St., Omaha, NE 68154-2198 or email to: jpress@jewishomaha.org

A Big Deal

Jewish Press Editor

Here it is: one week until the Jewish Press High Holiday issue lands in mailboxes, our staff can breathe a little easier, as holidays become about something more than deadlines, content production and ad sales.

Sometime in May of this year, we began working on the holiday issue; it is very tempting to treat this as work only, and forget the High Holidays are so much more than that. We’re celebrating the birth of the world, for starters, and that’s a pretty big deal. Everything we do during this holiday sets the tone for the rest of the year.

It makes me a little nervous, if I’m being honest. Can I handle the pressure? How much can I mess up, how many mistakes can I fit into 24 hours? And do I have to be extra good during this day, and extra happy, or can it be a more-or-less uneventful day, as long as there are no disasters?

It’s possible I am taking this a little too literally. Still, the idea of ‘setting the tone’ is, I think, a hopeful thing. It means we have a choice: we can choose to be better, work harder, be kinder and love more. If our behavior can (at least partially) affect the outcome of 5784, we can understand a sweet year as an active, rather than passive, proposition.

Of course, there are still many things we have no control over. Things like life and death, political strife, weather patterns and disasters caused by other people or factors that make life more difficult no matter how hard we try. That does not mean we should give up. In fact, I think we should try harder.

rabbi answers

ANDREW SILOW-CARROLL JTA

When I asked Rabbi Diana Fersko why she decided to add to the growing list of recent books written about antisemitism, she referred to Passover. On the holiday, Jews tell and retell the familiar story of the Exodus, she explained, and often add to it. The reasons for and solutions to antisemitism must also be told again and again, in ways, she said, that “connect to the past, and talk about what’s happening now.”

Her new book, We Need to Talk About Antisemitism, also has a Passover motif. So much of contemporary antisemitism, she writes, is about “narrowing” – the same way that the Israelites’ identity in Egypt (Mitzrayim, or “The Narrows,” in Hebrew) was restricted to a “specific, inflexible, and incomplete Jewish stereotype.” She sees such narrowing in the way even well-meaning people expect Jews to look or behave. “Narrowing” is what leads the far right to assign Jews to a conspiracy to undermine the West. And the left “narrows” Jews when they slot members of a diverse, complex community as white people who are leveraging their privilege to oppress others, especially Palestinians, and who themselves have no claim on victimhood.

Fersko is the senior rabbi, since 2020, at the Village Temple, a Reform congregation in Manhattan. She began at the start of the coronavirus epidemic, and her efforts to engage congregants despite the lockdown were the subject of a piece in The New Yorker.

Her 10 years in the rabbinate have also coincided with a rise in reports of antisemitic incidents, from vile social media campaigns to the killing of 11 Jews at a Pittsburgh synagogue in 2018. She wrote the book in part as a response to the questions she has gotten from members of her congregation.

“I’ve been having to preach about antisemitism for the decade or so that I’ve been a rabbi,” she told me. “Congregants started telling me their stories, and asking me their everyday questions. I felt like my congregants were asking amazing questions that I couldn’t answer on the fly. They deserved more serious answers, longer answers, and they deserve a book that hopefully helps them with the everyday antisemitism that they faced.”

In a conversation last Monday, we spoke about

Editorials express the view of the writer and are not necessarily representative of the views of the Jewish Press Board of Directors, the Jewish Federation of Omaha Board of Directors, or the Omaha Jewish community as a whole.

Perhaps this is the year that we unabashedly wish for the moon, and set our sights as high as our imagination will allow. After all, it’s super easy to fall into the negativity trap: the planet is falling apart, politicians can’t be trusted, the economy is bad and the only thing we have enough of is potholes. But what if, what if... What if we stop nay-saying our own dreams? Instead of making things bearable, we aim for fantastic, amazing, magnificent.

I don’t wish you just a healthy year, I wish you the healthiest year ever. I hope you can run five miles without breaking a sweat and you are never short on sleep. Did I say five miles? I meant ten!

I wish that everyone everywhere receives as much love as they give, and nobody is alone for any holiday. I wish for un unprecedented year, world-wide, without bad storms, tornadoes, fires or earthquakes. I wish for an end to all wars, and I wish for zero school shootings in 5784. I dream of an end to racism, homophobia, misogyny, school bullying, sexual assault, transphobia. I dream of an end to world hunger; may no family anywhere struggle to feed and clothe their children, and may there be no more poverty anywhere. I wish an end to homelessness, and addiction. I wish for an end to mental health issues, and barring that, better care for everyone. I wish that, no matter what, we can all be guided by love and empathy and patience (all things I can personally be so much better at) and that none of us ever makes de-

cisions that make us a little ashamed of ourselves.

Most of all, I hope we can all be more positive, more optimistic. We can handle much more than we think. Nowadays, the narrative we are often

confronted with is one of despair, of it’s-alreadytoo-late-ness, and ‘what’s the point?’ Just as often as we hear those words from others, we say them ourselves.

The new year is a great time to bring back hope. We get to look forward to a year with endless possibilities. And: we can do this.

What if we tell each other shana tova, and actually mean it?

question: Why do they hate us?

the climate for Jews on American college campuses, why one editor turned down the book and why physical violence from the right is the greatest threat facing Jews.

The conversation was edited for length and clarity.

You catalog a lot of recent incidents of antisemitism in your book, but I want to compare what is happening now in America to, say, the middle of the 20th century. My parents and their generation remember having to change their last names to get a better job, there were certain clubs you couldn’t belong to, there were schools that wouldn’t allow you in. What are the main ways people are feeling antisemitism today, in your experience?

The answer depends on your life stage. If you are a teen, the answer is what is happening on social media, or at school. What I’ve seen is that there is almost no teen who has not experienced or witnessed some level of direct and personal antisemitism.

So for them, I think it’s meteorological, it’s atmospheric, it’s just out there. And it’s something they encounter all the time on TikTok, on Snapchat, in the hallways, etc.

I’ve heard this story many times, from multiple people and different versions. The Jewish parents wanted to gather, like the other affinity groups in school, where their identity would be honored and celebrated. The administration, in many of these cases, has pushed back and said, “The optics don’t look good.” I think the idea there is the false idea that Jews are privileged, Jews have proximity to power, and that Jewish gatherings somehow take away from other types of justice — which I just find

We Need to Talk About Antisemitism responds to an era of rising concerns about hatred directed at

I’ve also seen it come up in the workplace, as our society is more and more reliant upon identity, and having a focus on that in our professional setting. It comes up when Jews are asked to sort themselves in a category that they’re not fully comfortable with, or being denied the chance to organize and gather as Jews where you see other groups organizing and gathering and having a desire to share with people that have similar experiences.

And yes, I have heard from some of my older congregants kind of, “You know, it’s not so bad.” I hope that’s true, but this could get quickly worse. And I think we really need to be quite active to make sure it doesn’t.

When you talk about people being denied the chance to organize, you tell that story about the parents in a New York City private school who wanted to form a Jewish affinity group, but the administration told them, “Now’s not the time.” What was in the mind of the administration?

What were they so nervous about?

very upsetting because of course Jews have always been so closely tied to the idea of justice.

That reminds me of another point in your book, when you write that a book editor rejected the manuscript because it “centered Jews.” What do you think they meant?

I took this to mean that Jews don’t have the right to tell our stories. Or by telling our stories, it diminishes the pathway to justice for other groups, which I don’t believe is true. I certainly believe in the growing fight towards justice [for all groups], and a growing awareness of injustice that we’re struggling with in all our communities. But I think antisemitism is a part of that awakening. We need to acknowledge that antisemitism is real, that it’s back and in many troubling and tricky forms. And I think Jews have a right and an urgency and a need to tell our stories.

Or as you write in the book, “The liberal world has not embraced the notion that Jews have a meaningful history to tell. They are surprised See A rabbi answers her congregants’ page 9

A

her congregants’

A rabbi answers her congregants

Continued from page 8 that instead of being associated with victimhood, Jews are becoming increasingly associated with words like ‘privilege.’”

Yes. It seems shocking, because we don’t follow the same patterns as other minorities in our culture, right? It’s not necessarily that we’re a racial minority. We’re not a religion only. We are also an ethnicity and a history and a people and culture. We don’t fall into the kind of sorting that the wider culture likes to do. And so we’re misunderstood. I think there needs to be a fair amount of education about how Jews are a people, and just demonstrating to people that actually Jews today in the U.S. are less safe than we’ve ever been here.

You feel that? That American Jews have never been less safe in America?

I recently went to a briefing in New York City with different organizations and people of backgrounds where we spoke with the commissioner of police. And every Jew there had a story about a concern of physical violence — like me. I’ve received threatening postcards in the mail on multiple occasions over multiple years. Or someone in Brooklyn who was talking about the change of tone in his neighborhood and feeling concerned about doing everyday tasks like walking down the street. I think there is a lot of anxiety and tension over the freedom to be Jewish in public ways. And I think that’s scary.

I want to get back to the older congregant who says, “Things are not so bad compared to when I was a kid.” And certainly Jews have, in general, freedoms and material comfort in this country that they never had before.

When I first started talking about antisemitism from the bimah, that was the main piece of pushback that I got. I completely agree: What’s happened to us has been remarkably successful. And I think that’s wonderful. And I want it to stay that way. I want Jews to be able to be Jewish, in public and in private, and I want Jews to be able to be represented in cultural institutions, in academia, in medicine, in media and in any field you can think of.

And I think that we need to be aware that this has happened before. Jews have been successful before — not just in Germany, but in the Golden Age in the medieval period, when Jews were thriving and living with Christians and Muslims in the same area. But guess what? It didn’t last and it ended horribly on the Iberian Peninsula. So I don’t think we can fool our-

selves and say, “Oh, look, you know, we’re over represented in a certain field, and therefore, we have nothing to worry about.” But it’s a wonderful fantasy.

You write at length and powerfully about right-wing extremism and the violent threat it poses, from the Tree of Life murders in Pittsburgh to the “Jews will not replace us” march in Charlottesville, Virginia. It’s a big part of the book and I don’t want to diminish that in any way. But I detect – and if I am wrong, tell me so – that the antisemitism of the moment that you find particularly confounding is on the left, perhaps because it comes from a world that includes your political allies on so many other issues.

First of all, I want to say I’m not trying to make an equivalence. Physical violence is the worst thing. Physical violence is the greatest threat and the greatest harm, and I see that from the neo-Nazi consortium more than any other group in the United States. So I just want to be clear about that.

When I write about the liberal world — and I don’t even mean politically liberal, I just mean broadly — that’s what I know. That’s who I am. And frankly, that’s what I love. Those are the values, ideas and people that I really want to be at home in. And I want the Jewish community to feel at home and welcomed and understood in those circles. And when I see an expansion of antisemitism in that world, it causes me grave concern, and I feel obligated to speak out as a liberal leader.

What Jewish groups might call antisemitic, left-wing and pro-Palestinian groups might defend as harsh but justified criticism of Israel’s human rights record. How do you tell the difference?

There’s no perfect answer, but what I tell people is to focus on the outcome of the conversation. If there’s a real outcome that would affect either Israelis or Palestinians, then I tend to be interested in it. Maybe this is a real conversation, if we want to learn from each other. If the outcome is only to create antisemitism on a college campus, then I do not think that conversation is worth having.

I hear a growing number of people that are just very uncomfortable being publicly Jewish on college campuses. And that’s wildly unacceptable.

How do you suggest they respond?

I tell kids and their parents, find a Jewish community when you get to campus. The first week, march yourself into Hillel

or some other Jewish body and plant yourself there and make yourself known, because these conversations are not easy. And you will need the support and feedback of your community in order to know where you stand, to figure out your ideas.

You write about the dual loyalty charge, that Jews are suspect because of their attachment to Israel. Similarly, you cite cases in which liberal Jewish students are blocked from progressive coalitions on the assumption that as Zionists they can’t be “objective” not just on Israel but other things of concern to progressives. How do you explain, let’s say to a non-Jewish audience, that many Jews want their kids to identify very closely with Israel but that closeness does not imply dual loyalty?

You know, you can love a family member and still think about other things at the same time. It’s not a hard concept. When somebody comes to you, and accuses you of not being able to be objective because you’re a Jew, then that’s your opportunity to say “actually, what you’re accusing me of, it’s dual loyalties, here’s the history of dual loyalties, and here’s how you’re diminishing my role as a civic participant in student government, climate change, whatever sort of organization it is, based on the fact that I’m Jewish.” I don’t see a conflict at all in being a Zionist and being objective.

You talk about a certain kind of Christian antisemitism in the book, which could be described as appropriation — it’s not about killing Jesus, but almost the opposite: “You’re just like us,” which can be its own sort of denial of Jewish legitimacy.

Christian antisemitism historically has been about polarization: You are nothing like us, we are good, you are bad. But the Christian antisemitism of today is much different. And it often says that we’re the same as Christians. Growing up in Connecticut, I got so much of this: “What are you doing for Jewish Christmas?” There was a sort of pervasive identity denial, where there was a disbelief that I actually didn’t participate in any Christian rituals.

That’s so much better than the Christian antisemitism of the past, but I also think it needs to be talked about because it is reducing who we are as a people and eliminating our voices from public discourse.

Read more at www.omahajewishpress.com

ROSH HASHANAH 5784

Celebrating 40 Years

Synagogues

B’NAI ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE

618 Mynster Street

Council Bluffs, IA 51503-0766

712.322.4705

email: CBsynagogue@hotmail.com

BETH EL SYNAGOGUE

Member of United Synagogues of Conservative Judaism

14506 California Street Omaha, NE 68154-1980

402.492.8550 bethel-omaha.org

BETH ISRAEL SYNAGOGUE

Member of Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America

12604 Pacific Street Omaha, NE. 68154

402.556.6288 BethIsrael@OrthodoxOmaha.org

CHABAD HOUSE

An Affiliate of Chabad-Lubavitch

1866 South 120 Street Omaha, NE 68144-1646

402.330.1800 OChabad.com email: chabad@aol.com

LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY: B’NAI JESHURUN

South Street Temple

Union for Reform Judaism

2061 South 20th Street Lincoln, NE 68502-2797

402.435.8004 www.southstreettemple.org

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE

Capehart Chapel

2500 Capehart Road

Offutt AFB, NE 68123

402.294.6244

email: oafbjsll@icloud.com

ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME

323 South 132 Street Omaha, NE 68154

TEMPLE ISRAEL

Union for Reform Judaism (URJ)

13111 Sterling Ridge Drive Omaha, NE 68144-1206 402.556.6536 templeisraelomaha.com

LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY: TIFERETH ISRAEL

Member of United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism

3219 Sheridan Boulevard Lincoln, NE 68502-5236

402.423.8569 tiferethisraellincoln.org

B’NAI ISRAEL

For information about our historic synagogue, please contact Howard Kutler at hkutler@hotmail. com or any of our other board members: Renee Corcoran, Scott Friedman, Rick Katelman, Janie Kulakofsky, Howard Kutler, Carole and Wayne Lainof, Ann Moshman, Mary-Beth Muskin, Debbie Salomon and Sissy Silber.

Handicap Accessible.

BETH EL

Services conducted by Rabbi Steven Abraham and Hazzan Michael Krausman.

IN-PERSON AND ZOOM MINYAN SCHEDULE: Mornings on Sundays, 9:30 a.m.; Mondays and Thursdays, 7 a.m.; Evenings on Sunday-Thursday, 5:30 p.m.

FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat, 6 p.m. at Beth El & Live Stream.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Services, 10 a.m.; Havdalah, 8:30 p.m. Zoom Only.

SUNDAY: Morning MInyan, 9 a.m. Zoom Only.

MONDAY: Morning MInyan, 9 a.m. Zoom Only; Beth El Office Closed.

WEDNESDAY: BESTT (Grades 3-7), 4:15 p.m.; Hebrew High (Grades 8-12), 6 p.m.

FRIDAY-Sept. 8: Six String Shabbat on the Green

6 p.m.

SATURDAY-Sept. 9: Shabbat Morning Services, 10 a.m. at Beth El and Live Stream; ; Jr. Congregation (Grades 3-7), 10 a.m.; Havdalah & Selichot, 8:15 p.m. with guest speaker Dr. Leonard Greenspoon. Please visit bethel-omaha.org for additional information and service links.

BETH ISRAEL

FRIDAY: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat, 7:30 p.m.; Candlelighting, 7:40 p.m.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Kollel, 8:30 a.m.; Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Tot Shabbat, 10:45 a.m.; Soulful Torah: Unpacking the Or HaChim’s Teachings, 6:30 p.m.; Teen Class 7 p.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 7:30 p.m.; Laws of Shabbos/Kids Activity 8 p.m.; Havdalah, 8:39 p.m.

SUNDAY: Shacharit 9 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv 7:40 p.m.

MONDAY: Shacharit, 9 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 7:40 p.m.

TUESDAY: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 7:40 p.m.

WEDNESDAY: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 7:40 p.m.

THURSDAY: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Character Development, 9:30 a.m.; Mincha/ Ma’ariv 7:40 p.m.; Parsha Class 7:50 p.m.

FRIDAY-Sept. 8: Nach Yomi, 6:45 a.m.; Shacharit, 7 a.m.; Mincha/Kabbalat Shabbat, 7:28 p.m.; Candlelighting, 7:28 p.m.

SATURDAY-Sept. 9: Shabbat Kollel, 8:30 a.m.; Shacharit 9 a.m.; Tot Shabbat 10:45 a.m.; Soulful

Austria’s plans

TOBY AXELROD

BERLIN | JTA

for

Torah: Unpacking the Or HaChim’s Teachings, 6:10 p.m.; Teen Class, 7 p.m.; Mincha/Ma’ariv, 7:10 p.m.; Laws of Shabbos/Kids Activity, 7:40 p.m.; Havdalah, 8:26 p.m.

Please visit orthodoxomaha.org for additional information and Zoom service links.

CHABAD HOUSE

All services are in-person. All classes are being offered in-person and via Zoom (ochabad.com/academy). For more information or to request help, please visit www.ochabad.com or call the office at 402.330.1800.

FRIDAY: Shacharit 8 a.m.; Inspirational Lechayim, 5:45 p.m. with Rabbi and friends: ochabad.com/ Lechayim; Candlelighting, 7:39 p.m.

SATURDAY: Shacharit, 9:30 a.m. followed by Kiddush and Cholent; Shabbat Ends, 8:37 p.m.

SUNDAY: Sunday Morning Wraps: Shacharit, 99:30 a.m., Video Presentation, 9:30 a.m. and Breakfast, 9:45 a.m.

MONDAY: Shacharit 8 a.m.; Personal Parsha, 9:30 a.m.; Intermediate Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 10:30 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Introduction to Writing Hebrew Script and Vocabulary Practice, 5 p.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Parsha Reading, 6 p.m. with Prof. David Cohen.

TUESDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Intermediate Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 6 p.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Introductory Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 7 p.m. with Prof. David Cohen.

WEDNESDAY: Shacharit 8 a.m.; Mystical Thinking (Tanya), 9:30 a.m.; Introductory Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 10:30 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Parsha Reading, 11:30 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen.

THURSDAY: Shacharit, 8 a.m.; Parsha Reading, 10 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Advanced Biblical Hebrew Grammar, 11 a.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Talmud Study (Sanhedrin 34), noon; Introduction to Alphabet, Vowels & Reading Hebrew, 6 p.m. with Prof. David Cohen; Kitzur Shulchan Aruch (Code of Jewish Law) Class, 7 p.m.

FRIDAY-Sept. 8 Shacharit 8 a.m.; Inspirational Lechayim, 5:45 p.m. with Rabbi and friends: ocha bad.com/Lechayim; Candlelighting, 7:27 p.m.

SATURDAY-Sept. 9: Shacharit 9:30 a.m. followed by Kiddush and Cholent; Shabbat Ends, 8:25 p.m.

LINCOLN JEWISH COMMUNITY: B’NAI JESHURUN & TIFERETH ISRAEL

Services facilitated by Rabbi Alex Felch. All services offered in-person with live-stream or teleconferencing options.

FRIDAY: Kabbalat Shabbat Service with Rabbi Alex and music by Nathaniel and Steve Kaup, 6:30 p.m. at SST; Oneg Host: TBD; Shabbat Candlelighting, 7:41 p.m.

SATURDAY: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Alex at TI; Torah Study, noon on Parashat

Ki Tavo; Havdalah 8:39 p.m.

SUNDAY: No LJCS Classes; Men’s Bike/Coffee Group meet, 10:45 a.m. at The Mill on the Innovation Campus. We sit outside, facing east. For more information or questions please email Al Weiss at albertw801@gmail.com; Marvin Twersky Memorial Dedication, 11 a.m.; Pickleball, 3-5 p.m. at TI. Everyone is welcome.

MONDAY: Synagogue Offices Closed.

WEDNESDAY: JTTJF Movie Night, 6:30 p.m. at SST.

THURSDAY: High Holy Days Choir Rehearsal, 7 p.m. at SST. If you are interested in choir, please contact our music director, Steven Kaup, via email at: Mus icDirector@southstreettemple.org

FRIDAY-Sept. 8: Kabbalat Shabbat Service with Rabbi Alex and music by Nathaniel and Steve Kaup, 6:30 p.m. at SST; Oneg Host: TBD; Shabbat Candlelighting, 7:29 p.m.

SATURDAY-Sept. 9: Shabbat Morning Service, 9:30 a.m. with Rabbi Alex at TI; Torah Study, noon on Parashat Nitzavim-Vayeilech; Choir Call, 6:45 p.m. at SST; Selichot Social 7 p.m. at SST; Community Selichot Service 7:30 p.m. at SST.

OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE

FRIDAYS: Virtual Shabbat Service, 7:30 p.m. every first and third of the month at Capehart Chapel. Contact TSgt Jason Rife at OAFBJSLL@icloud.com for more information.

ROSE BLUMKIN JEWISH HOME

The Rose Blumkin Jewish Home’s service is currently closed to visitors.

TEMPLE ISRAEL

In-person and virtual services conducted by Rabbi Benjamin Sharff, Rabbi Deana Sussman Berezin, and Cantor Joanna Alexander

FRIDAY: Drop in Mah Jongg, 9-11 a.m. In-Person; Shabbat B’yachad Service, 6 p.m. In-Person & Zoom.

SATURDAY: Torah Study 9:15 a.m. In-Person & Zoom

SUNDAY: No Youth Learning.

MONDAY: Temple Israel Office Closed.

WEDNESDAY: Yarn It, 9 a.m. In-Person.; Grades 36, 4:30 p.m.; Grades 8-12, 6 p.m.

THURSDAY: Thursday Morning Class, 10 a.m. with Rabbi Azriel via Zoom

FRIDAY-Sept. 8: Drop in Mah Jongg, 9-11 a.m. InPerson; Shabbat Shira Service, 6 p.m. In-Person & Zoom.

SATURDAY-Sept. 9: Torah Study 9:15 a.m. In-Person & Zoom; Shabbat Morning Service, 10:30 a.m. InPerson & Zoom; S’lichot — Get to Know Rabbi Sharff, 7 p.m. In-Person; S’lichot Service, 8 p.m. In-Person & Zoom

Please visit templeisraelomaha.com for additional information and Zoom service links.

Hitler’s birth house stir controversy

The local administration of Braunau announced Monday, Aug. 21, its concrete plans to put Hitler’s birth house to practical use, promising to house a police training program on issues related to human rights. But less than two months before the redesign is to begin, local citizens and leaders are not in agreement on the plan.

A filmmaker has suggested that Hitler himself wanted to have local officials move into the rooms where he was born in 1889 and spent the first months of his life. In a documentary he is releasing on Tuesday, Günter Schwaiger reveals a 1939 news report about Hitler’s order. The film “Who’s afraid of Braunau?” is to premiere on a screen in front of the three-story house, which is located on a corner near Braunau’s town square. The town has about 16,000 residents.

Schwaiger told the AFP that the police station will “always be suspected” of being “in line with the dictator’s wishes.”

The building, which was constructed in the early to mid-19th century, has become a site of pilgrimage for Hitler supporters, despite the fact that the Austrian government expropriated the house in 2017, reportedly in part to prevent the site from be-

coming a magnet for neo-Nazis.

“To stop those gatherings, the town placed a monument in front of the house, consisting of a block of granite from the Mauthausen concentration camp quarry, inscribed with a message in memory of the victims of fascism,” California attorney Cary Lowe, who was born in Braunau to Holocaust survivors, told JTA in an email.

“If the government implements the police station proposal, which includes relocating the anti-fascist monument, I fear that will just suppress the history of the place and trivialize the tragic events that flowed from there,” he said.

In May, it was announced that the longplanned police station would include the human rights training program, in an apparent nod to opponents.

Such a program would “do justice to moral, political and legal responsibility,” Oliver Rathkolb of the Institute of Contemporary History at the University of Vienna said in a statement issued at the time by Austria’s Interior Ministry. “We have to face our past and give this historically burdened place a life-affirming perspective.”

But the plan has not received wide popular sup-

port. A small majority of those surveyed by the polling firm Market Institut said they preferred to see an entity move in that would focus solely on National Socialism, remembrance, anti-fascism or peace. Very few agreed with the planned use by law enforcement.

As the discussion heated up recently, an Austrian artist collective called Total Refusal suggested that a controversial statue of Vienna’s wartime mayor Karl Lueger be picked up by helicopter and dropped over Hitler’s birth house.

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How ‘You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah’ imitates real life

JTA

To prepare for their role in creating Adam Sandler’s latest movie, crew members hit the Toronto bar and bat mitzvah circuit.

Production designer Perry Blake and set decorator Julia Altschul, guided by a local consultant on the Jewish comingof-age ceremony, crashed 10 parties within a matter of weeks.

“We saw how amazing and big and outlandish and extravagant they were,” Blake told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. “With a movie, you usually set your sights high — bigger than the real world. But that was like, wow, the real world is really amazing.”

vah project,” a service initiative that many congregations encourage; and meeting with her hipster, often-on-the-treadmill rabbi, played by comedian Sarah Sherman.

For Stacy, Lydia and their friends, the point of the milestone is the party. The movie explores the intense pressure that families, especially in affluent communities, can face to throw the best-ever bash.

Bar and bat mitzvah parties in the United States can cost between $10,000 and $40,000, or upwards of $100,000 for families in New York City and Los Angeles, according to The Bash, an event-planning platform — though the price tag can easily rise higher for families that choose pricey venues and entertainment. One 2015 celebration in New Jersey that featured teen idol Nick Jonas reportedly topped $1 million.

Sandler’s character battles back against the pressure. After Stacy demands a private yacht on the Hudson River and pop star Olivia Rodrigo on a jet ski, her father responds: “When I got bar mitzvahed, we had a party in Grandma’s basement. We all split this giant matzo ball. That was the fun. You know what the theme was? Being Jewish!”

The greatest challenge for crew members was packing all the splendor of real sprawling festivities into brief shots, said Altschul.

“A real bar or bat mitzvah is hours,” she said. “So we’re trying to get people to see all the bits and pieces — speeches, a video, the grand entrance, candle-lighting, the swag, the full picture — in a quick minute or two.”

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The team borrowed several features from the events they attended, from 30-foot-wide videos honoring the bar and bat mitzvah celebrants to costly DJs to fanciful lighting displays.

All of those led to the lavish sets in You Are So Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah, which hit Netflix on Aug. 25.

One circus-themed party inspired the dazzling Carnivalethemed bar mitzvah that opens the film, complete with a firebreather and stilt walker.

The world of extravagant, euphoric and angst-charged parties for 13-year-olds is the setting of Sandler’s new comedy, a coming-of-age drama that is also an onscreen vehicle for his real-life Jewish family. Sandler plays the befuddled, uncool dad Danny Friedman to Stacy and Ronnie Friedman, portrayed by his reallife daughters, Sunny and Sadie Sandler, while his wife Jackie Sandler has a smaller role as the mother of Stacy’s best friend Lydia.

The friendship between Stacy and Lydia makes up the backbone of the film, which is based on Fiona Rosenbloom’s 2005 book of the same name. The two girls start out planning their dream bat mitzvah parties together, but a rift over Hebrew school stud Andy Goldfarb (Dylan Hoffman) threatens to destroy both their friendship and their Jewish rites of passage.

Sandler has previously appeared in movies with Jewish themes, including the comedy You Don’t Mess With the Zohan, about a legendary Israeli soldier who dreams of becoming a hairstylist, and acclaimed dramas The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected) and Uncut Gems. But none of those stories portrayed a centerpiece of Jewish family life so thoroughly, and so earnestly.

One coming-of-age party in particular fueled the crew’s imagination: star Sunny Sandler’s real-life bat mitzvah, which took place in Los Angeles just a few months before the film started shooting. Blake attended the ceremony and the celebration along with Cohen and Peck.

“That was Adam Sandler’s daughter, so it was pretty overthe-top, too,” said Blake.

The crew worked with Heather Glowinsky, the proprietor of Rockpaper Events in Toronto, to sample other glitzy celebrations. But though the crew had fun building elaborate party scenes, they said they also sought to convey the significance of a ritual that unites Jewish families.

“The coolest thing was just seeing that it’s so much about family,” Blake said.

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Building relationships: Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company 2023 Summer Intensive reflection

Thanks to the generosity of the following donors; the Albert and Eleanor Feldman Family Israel Foundation, the Staenberg Family Foundation, the Kiewit Companies Foundation, the Foundation Grants Committee, and the Special Donor-Advised Fund. I, and six of my fellow company members at the Jewish Community Center, were given the opportunity to attend the Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company’s (KCDC) two-week Summer Intensive at Kibbutz Ga’aton Israel. Although this was not the first intensive in which I participated, it was my first time traveling internationally, thus this particular experience will always occupy a special place in my heart.

Not only did the KCDC Summer Intensive allow me to grow in the technical areas of dance, it enabled me to further develop my identity as a dancer, by facilitating my exploration of a variety of unfamiliar styles of dance and choreography. Perhaps the foremost aspect of dance in which I progressed throughout the intensive is a particular modern technique name Graham. Each of the exemplary teachers that introduced me to this style of movement possessed an uncanny awareness of their bodies and a high level of understanding of which muscles to engage in order to produce a beautiful quality of motion. I was allowed to further cultivate my understanding during repertoire, in which my fellow dancers and I were taught excerpts from company pieces by members of KCDC. We also witnessed the company dancers rehearse their most recent piece and viewed a collection of pieces performed by the young company, all of whom demonstrated immense skill and artistic expression. Their performance not only reinvigorated my love of this art form but also inspired me to work

even harder to cultivate my dance persona and to further improve my technique.

However, I found that the relationships I was able to build during the following Partnership weekend were just as impactful, if not more significant, than the transformation of my movement quality over the duration of the intensive. The families that so generously offered to host my fellow dancers and me were incredibly compassionate and eager to introduce us to their way of life. I very much enjoyed touring the kibbutz where my hosts lived, visiting the school that a few of the dancers attended during the school year, and becoming acquainted with numerous teenagers living in Israel, all of whom were around my age. It means the world to me to be able to

remain in contact with the friends I made during that weekend, reminding me of the importance of creating lifelong bonds across international borders.

Once again, I would like to articulate my gratitude toward everyone who made this once-in-a-lifetime experience possible, from those who provided the much-needed funding, to my supportive parents and their commitment to my dance career, to the JCC Performing Arts Director, Esther Katz, who introduced my fellow dancers and me to this program and worked to ensure that we could attend the program. Thank you all for this unforgettable adventure and for the ability to form these memories and friendships that I will carry with me for the rest of my life.